To Restore or not Restore....that is the question

[showcase4]

About 10 years ago, there was pretty stiff competition for your Golden and SIlver Age comics restoration business. Now, there is pretty stiff competition for your restoration detection and removal business. I personally would not buy a restored book, but I may be in a small minority..so I pose this question, which always interested me:

 

Would you rather own a G/VG unrestored GA book, or a restored VF for the same price? ( let's say the restoration is moderate / professional )

[thedarkknight]

That's a tough one. It would depend on the book and what drops it to a GD/VG.

[G.A.tor]

hello all...

My feelings are this...we typically live in a society where a "book is judged by its cover" type of mentality...if the door on your house that you welcome your family and friends to, is old and faded with cracking paint, you paint it to "restore" its appearance. If your 1965 Mustang needs a new interior or motor, you restore it to increase its driving comfort/condition. (you can see where I am going with this). So, from my experience, most comic book restoration is done primarily to the covers (apart from CF reinforcement and interior page tear seals) to increase is visible appearance. To some, this is desirable, to others, it is taboo. My personal feeling is I much rather own a more desirable looking comic that has been restored, than the same comic (price the same) that has detracting or distracting visual qualities. That said, I will not buy a restored comic with brittle pages, or an interior that is "junk". However, if all that has been done is to "spruce" up the exterior to increase viewing pleasure, then I am all for it. The contents (story, art, etc) of the comic is still the same, and as many have pointed out in the past, in today's current market, it makes owning some books feasible/possible, given the restored vs. unrestored pricing (I pray that restored prices never rise like the GA unrestored prices do). I certainly respect folks right (like a very good friend/customer of ours) to only want "virgin/untouched" books, but I don't follow that philosophy.

thanks

rick

[Timulty]

I am a believer that restoration is an inevitability with GA books. Its going to happen someday. Right now, market dictates that a restored book gets roughly half guide. I have no problem with restored books but I will not pay guide for them. Not unless the market price brings it up to that level. If I had a shot at a restored VF Whiz #2(1) vs. a VG Whiz #!2(1) for less than the VG, I would probably go for the VF. Now that being said, I have no restored books in my collection.

[G.A.tor]

hello all...

good point...I believe that based on my buying experience (and I think Filter81 can back me up on this on the selling end), that most restored GA books are actually selling at about 15-25% of guide, depending on issue/scarcity/grade/degree of restoration, etc...which is just the way I like it

rick

[Shield]

Ok, let's say the book is a 'Tec 27. Unrestored G/VG with cream to off-white paper, or a lightly restored VF with cream to off-white.

 

Same price (for the sake of argument). Which one do you choose?

[Timulty]

That's tough, because you are picking a book, I am not likely to collect. But I am sorely tempted on the VF. But I still couldn't justify buying it, if the market is saying it should be 50% less. Also, I wouldn't collect a VG on that book. So, I would pass on both.

[CentaurMan]

Ok, let's say the book is a 'Tec 27. Unrestored G/VG with cream to off-white paper, or a lightly restored VF with cream to off-white.

 

Same price (for the sake of argument). Which one do you choose?

 

Unrestored G/VG, every time. And I'm a guy that owns plenty of restored books.

 

But I'm guessing an unrestored G/VG 'Tec 27 would sell for more than a lightly restored VF copy, so being given the opportunity to buy both at the same price creates an inequity in my mind.

[G.A.tor]

hello all...

as someone who is actually actively looking for the above scenario, I can say "both" ....in a financial reality, if a g/vg 3.0 tec 27 came up for $40-50K or a slightly restored 8.0 for the same money, I would have to "assume" that the slightly restored was probably a vg or better to begin with, in order to get to the sp 8.0 and would choose the 8.0....now, on a heavily restored 8.0, then I would assume it was a fair/good, and go with the g/vg 3.0, just on principle that I could restore it if I wanted to...I kind of look at the "before" restoration grade on bigger books, and balance a decision based on that (taking the higher grade for the lessor money), since that is the only way I can afford to buy them...

rick

[Durden08]

In the scenario presented both books are priced the same. Assuming I had the money, I'd take the Unrestored book every time.

 

The only time I'd take a Restored copy would be in this situation: If I really wanted a TEC 27, but couldn't afford $80,000 for an Unrestored copy. In this scenario, I would take a Restored copy if it was priced to the point that I could afford it.

 

As I've always said regarding rare or high value GA books, sometimes the choice is either buying a restored copy, or having no copy at all.

[Psiknight]

In the scenario presented both books are priced the same. Assuming I had the money, I'd take the Unrestored book every time.

 

The only time I'd take a Restored copy would be in this situation: If I really wanted a TEC 27, but couldn't afford $80,000 for an Unrestored copy. In this scenario, I would take a Restored copy if it was priced to the point that I could afford it.

 

As I've always said regarding rare or high value GA books, sometimes the choice is either buying a restored copy, or having no copy at all.

 

My answer would pretty much mirror this one.

[Bonds25]

I am a believer that restoration is an inevitability with GA books. Its going to happen someday. Right now, market dictates that a restored book gets roughly half guide.

 

It's no where near half guide. Most restored books bring closer to 20% guide. And to answer the question, I'd rather buy the restored book that looks nice and will survive longer rather than a ratty looking unrestored book.

[FFB]

Ok, let's say the book is a 'Tec 27. Unrestored G/VG with cream to off-white paper, or a lightly restored VF with cream to off-white.

 

Same price (for the sake of argument). Which one do you choose?

 

What do you mean by lightly restored? Like some glue holding down a 1/8 inch bindery corner tear, two 1/8 inch hits of color touch on the spine, and a 1/4 inch tear seal on the back cover? I'd take the lightly restored VF over the unrestored G/VG if they were the same price. The restored book started out as around a F/VF or so, and even if you view the restoration added as additional "defects" instead of restoration (in other words, view the CT and glue as stains instead of restoration and downgrade for them), you're still looking at a Fine copy. And you could probably remove all of the restoration and still wind up with at least a VG/FN.

 

Present market economics might not support my position, but common sense does and I think eventually the slightly restored VF would be worth more. Based on sales histories of unrestored G/VG 3.0 and slightly restored FN 6.0, I think that an unrestored G/VG and a slightly restored VF would be worth roughly the same on the market now (with the VF worth maybe a little more). But that's just a somewhat educated guess, because no Slight (P) copies in VF 8.0 exist in the census and thus, none have changed hands.

[showcase4]

I am a believer that restoration is an inevitability with GA books. Its going to happen someday. gets .

 

Actually, there is no reason a GA book can't last hundreds of years, assuming it's not in a bad state of deterioration presently. You stick a Fine 6.0 unrestored off-white paged 1945 comic book in Mylar, and store it a cool, dry, dark basement, it should last MANY generations with little change to its present condition

[FFB]

Why does this thread keep popping up to the top with no new posts?

[Point Five]

Because some folks need attention...

[jkc313]

Hello all. I've been buying/selling books for some 35 years now. I have always begged people to not restore ANY books unless they are going to fall apart without it. I have had countless numbers of friends and customers that have taken G and up key Gold and had them restored thinking they would never sell them. Invariably they go for less than if they'd left them alone. Perhaps Action 1 and Det 27 are exceptions but I will say from experience that Superman 1, Batman 1, Adventure 40 and 48, Flash 1, Wonder Woman 1, All-Star 3 & 8 are not. I've had the misfortune to have to move all these books more than once for friends that ended up getting hammered because they got perfectly acceptable copies upgraded and all these books were professionally restored. As unrestored keys get scacer they are going to get pricier. I'm not saying any of this is logical but these are the facts. Silver Age is worse. Why seling a tear on the back of a VF/NM Spidey #1 would kill it's value is beyond me but it has always happened and I contend always will.

keith

[tth2]

Hello all. I've been buying/selling books for some 35 years now. I have always begged people to not restore ANY books unless they are going to fall apart without it. I have had countless numbers of friends and customers that have taken G and up key Gold and had them restored thinking they would never sell them. Invariably they go for less than if they'd left them alone. Perhaps Action 1 and Det 27 are exceptions but I will say from experience that Superman 1, Batman 1, Adventure 40 and 48, Flash 1, Wonder Woman 1, All-Star 3 & 8 are not. I've had the misfortune to have to move all these books more than once for friends that ended up getting hammered because they got perfectly acceptable copies upgraded and all these books were professionally restored. As unrestored keys get scacer they are going to get pricier. I'm not saying any of this is logical but these are the facts. Silver Age is worse. Why seling a tear on the back of a VF/NM Spidey #1 would kill it's value is beyond me but it has always happened and I contend always will.

keith

Well said, Keith!

[FFB]

Hello all. I've been buying/selling books for some 35 years now. I have always begged people to not restore ANY books unless they are going to fall apart without it. I have had countless numbers of friends and customers that have taken G and up key Gold and had them restored thinking they would never sell them. Invariably they go for less than if they'd left them alone. Perhaps Action 1 and Det 27 are exceptions but I will say from experience that Superman 1, Batman 1, Adventure 40 and 48, Flash 1, Wonder Woman 1, All-Star 3 & 8 are not. I've had the misfortune to have to move all these books more than once for friends that ended up getting hammered because they got perfectly acceptable copies upgraded and all these books were professionally restored. As unrestored keys get scacer they are going to get pricier. I'm not saying any of this is logical but these are the facts. Silver Age is worse. Why seling a tear on the back of a VF/NM Spidey #1 would kill it's value is beyond me but it has always happened and I contend always will.

keith

 

If the book is a GA book in GD 2.0 or better shape, I agree with you based on what I've seen in terms of sales prices. There is no point in restoring a VG copy of an expensive book, for example. At 1.5 and below, restoration can add real value to a GA book, especially an expensive key like Action 1 or Detective #27. For silver age, it's almost always pointless unless you're restoring a PR 0.5 or FR 1.0 copy of AF#15, because the cost of the restoration usually exceeds the resale value of the book. AF#15 is the only silver age book I can think of that is usually worth the cost of restoring up from PR 0.5 or FR 1.0.

[Comicdey]

Hello all. I've been buying/selling books for some 35 years now. I have always begged people to not restore ANY books unless they are going to fall apart without it. I have had countless numbers of friends and customers that have taken G and up key Gold and had them restored thinking they would never sell them. Invariably they go for less than if they'd left them alone. Perhaps Action 1 and Det 27 are exceptions but I will say from experience that Superman 1, Batman 1, Adventure 40 and 48, Flash 1, Wonder Woman 1, All-Star 3 & 8 are not. I've had the misfortune to have to move all these books more than once for friends that ended up getting hammered because they got perfectly acceptable copies upgraded and all these books were professionally restored. As unrestored keys get scacer they are going to get pricier. I'm not saying any of this is logical but these are the facts. Silver Age is worse. Why seling a tear on the back of a VF/NM Spidey #1 would kill it's value is beyond me but it has always happened and I contend always will.

keith

 

If the book is a GA book in GD 2.0 or better shape, I agree with you based on what I've seen in terms of sales prices. There is no point in restoring a VG copy of an expensive book, for example. At 1.5 and below, restoration can add real value to a GA book, especially an expensive key like Action 1 or Detective #27. For silver age, it's almost always pointless unless you're restoring a PR 0.5 or FR 1.0 copy of AF#15, because the cost of the restoration usually exceeds the resale value of the book. AF#15 is the only silver age book I can think of that is usually worth the cost of restoring up from PR 0.5 or FR 1.0.

 

Do you think restoring an AF 15 from 1.5-1.8 range makes sense?